What are his commandments?

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● Rom 12:16b . . Don't be elitist, but willing to associate with people below
you.

I'd have to say that those instructions apply only in church where it's
understood by Spirit-led Christians that no one in attendance is somehow
better than another. (cf. Jas 2:1-4)

Church managers should be given a higher degree of respect than pew
warmers because they're in positions of authority and greater responsibility;
but all in all, church is a congregation of redeemed sinners, and that includes
the managers; so we're all equals on that basis. Christ had to undergo just
as much suffering, indignity, and death to redeem church managers as he
did for everyone else so God forbid the hierarchy should exhibit a holier
than-thou attitude. (cf. Matt 23:2-7)
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31» Rom 12:16c . . Don't be wise in your own conceit.

Webster's defines "conceit" as excessive self-appreciation of one's own worth
or virtue. In other words we're talking about hubris; which often indicates a
loss of contact with reality and an overestimation of one's own competence,
accomplishments or capabilities.

Conceit is uncivil, untrainable, and intolerable. It truly believes nobody
beneath its dignity could possibly have anything to tell that it doesn't already
know; and if it doesn't already know, then that's because the information
possessed by those beneath its dignity isn't worth knowing.

Those kinds of people will interrupt you right in the middle of your sentence
and begin talking about their own perspective as if your voice is nowhere to
be heard in the whole room. You know why they do that? Because they
sincerely believe that nothing you are in the midst of saying is nearly as
important as what they have to say. In other words: you, and your
thoughts, are superfluous.

Conceited folk are generally very picky about their influences too. In other
words: even if somebody is a Spirit-gifted Bible teacher, but are neither
published, accredited, or properly educated, then forget it. That Spirit-gifted
somebody is eo ipso undeserving of conceit's intellectual attention right out
of the box.

Conceit is not only stuck on itself; but very critical of others too. I've seen it
to happen time and again that when a Spirit-gifted Bible teacher comes
across with a personality like Elijah's or John the Baptist's that conceit
summarily brushes them off as "unloving" no matter even if they speak as
the very voice of God. In other words; conceit disdains to be taught; rather,
conceit seeks to be accommodated.

I think most people in church are aware that conceit is unacceptable.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matt 5:3)

Conceit is a psychological disorder, so people can't just turn it off at will. But
unless something radical is done to correct their conceit; people will have to
face the sum of all fears.

"Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you
shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matt 18:3)
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32» Rom 12:17a . . Never reciprocate evil with evil to anyone.

That is a really tough command to follow; for example: when someone
makes a demeaning comment, and/or a sarcastic remark about us, the urge
to bounce back with a rejoinder in kind is very difficult to resist.

Well-to-do families at one time sent their daughters off to finishing school to
learn a variety of social graces. I don't know, maybe they still do; but surely
tact and diplomacy ought to be common social graces among Christians.
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33» Rom 12:17b . . Respect what is right in the sight of all men.

The Greek word for "right" is a bit ambiguous. It can mean honorable,
decent, sensible, mature, conforming to social norms of decency and
propriety, beautiful, virtuous, honest, having worth, fitting, and/or
appropriate. Those are all good qualities and should be practiced not only
inside church, but outside church too.

Human nature has a way of adjusting to a variety of social environments.
For example: a boy might be gentlemanly and gracious with his best girl
while a brutish punk with his buddies. Thus he "reads the crowd" sort of like
the way professional stand-up comedians do. In other words: he respects
what's right when with the girl, but not when with his buddies.

The boy can get by with that just so long as his two worlds don't collide; like
in the early scenes of the 1978 movie "Grease" starring John Travolta and
Olivia Newton John where a teen-age guy slips back into his bad-boy high
school persona only to be confronted by a girl with whom he was sweet
during Summer vacation and never expected to see again.
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34» Rom 12:18 . . If possible, so far as it in your power, be at peace with all
men.

NOTE: The Greek word translated "men" is somewhat ambiguous. It mostly
refers to humans of either gender-- male and female --which bounces back
to the very beginning where both genders are labeled Man & Adam (Gen
1:27 & Gen 5:1-2)

Assertive, defensive, demanding, fault-finding, imperious, judgmental,
confrontational, argumentative, bossy, spirited, hard-nosed, implacable,
moody, thin skinned, vindictive, abrasive, spiteful people are not allowed in
heaven. Why? Because heaven is a place of peace (Rom 14:17).

Disagreeable people who fight at the drop of a hat simply don't fit in heaven
and besides, not only would they be a fish out of water; but it wouldn't be
fair to the others to let difficult people in to heaven where they would surely
turn it into the same kind of hellish world to live in that they've made this
one.

Of all people, Christians should not be difficult; they should be the easiest to
get along with. (cf. Matt 5:9)
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35» Rom 12:19 . . Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave it to the
wrath of God, for it is written: Vengeance is mine, I will repay; testifies The
Lord.

The focus is upon one's "own" revenge; in other words: what we're talking
about here is evening the score, i.e. payback.

So; if the matter can't be settled legally; then let it go rather than take it
upon yourself to be prosecutor, judge, jury, and executioner, viz: a
vigilante. Those who seek justice outside the justice system are no less
criminals than the people they seek to punish.
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[Bruce_Leiter]

1 John 2:3-5
King James Version
3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

So what are his commandments?

Read the whole Bible, and you will find his commandments.

 

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36» Rom 12:20 . . If your personal enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is
thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals upon his
head.

Heaping real live burning coals upon somebody's head would be terribly
vindictive and unchristian; as would wishing them dead and condemned to
Hell. It's probably just meant to be a colloquialism for making someone feel
ashamed of themselves, i.e. guilty.

Way back when the television show "SURVIVOR" was in its second or third
season, two of the women fell out of sorts and one vowed that even if the
other were lying in the street near death from thirst, she'd walk right past
and not give her so much as a drop of water.

Bad form. Christians have to remain civil and not permit detestable people
to dictate the way we treat our fellow men. It is far better for Christ's
followers to exemplify humanitarian principles than satisfy a grudge. I'll
admit it's galling to have to be courteous with people that mistreat us; but
what can I say? Christ expects it.

"If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the
tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you
doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?" (Matt 5:46-47)
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37» Rom 12:21 . . Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

In other words: fighting fire with fire is not always the wisest course of
action for Christians to follow.

Compliance with that particular command requires some self control on our
part because human nature's impulses usually steer us into the wrong
course of action when coping with evil.
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38» Rom 13:1 . . Everyone must submit himself to the governing
authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.

God has given governments the right to play God; therefore Christians ought
not to be scofflaws; no, they really ought to be the most law-abiding citizens
on Earth; however there is a limit to the extent of our compliance because
governance doesn't stop with the law of the land, rather, the chain of
command reaches even unto Heaven.

For example the midwives in the book of Exodus defied Pharaoh and saved
the Jews' baby boys alive. What they did was illegal, but God rewarded them
for doing so.

● Matt 22:21 . . Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's;
and unto God the things that are God's.

Caesar and God are both in authority over us but with God of course having
the final word as the supreme being.

● Acts 5:29 . .We ought to obey God rather than men.

Here's another example of the divine chain of command overruling an
earthly power.

● Matt 2:7-8 . .Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men,
inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to
Bethlehem, and said: Go and search diligently for the young child; and when
ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him
also.

● Matt 2:12 . . And being warned of God in a dream that they should not
return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

The wise men risked prison, or worse, but what were they to do when their3
orders came straight from the top?

NOTE: Christians should expect neither favoritism nor immunity should they
break the law. So then, if you can't do the time, then don't do the crime
because Christian heads roll the same as any other criminal's head; and that
goes for lesser crimes too, e.g. J-walking, illegal U-turns, feeding parking
meters, drifting through stop signs without coming to a complete halt,
exceeding the speed limit, unsafe lane changes, road rage, disturbing the
peace, littering, trespassing, shoplifting, civil disobedience, vandalism, and
animal abuse, etc.

● Rom 13:2-3 . .Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is
rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring
judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right,
but for those who do wrong.

* Difficult days are ahead for Americans, and in fact are now here, as
powerful heads of government begin utilizing law enforcing agencies more
and more for political purposes. (This was penned in 2023)
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39» Rom 13:6a . . Pay your taxes

While it's true that tax dollars often get wasted on fraud, graft, pork, bail
outs, ear marks, foreign aid, endowments, grants, subsidies, and senseless
wars; by and large taxes are necessary if we're to expect essential services
like schools, parks, national defense, law enforcement, fire protection,
Medicare, Medicaid, Food Stamps, foster care, flood control, forest
management, FEMA, TANF, SSI, and the maintenance of infrastructure, etc.

Taxes are also used to pay government salaries, wages, and benefits to
bureaucrats and heads of state. Though such folk are not holy people in the
religious sense, they should probably be regarded as such-- maybe even as
angels. (of a sort)

● Rom 13:6b . . for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full
time to governing. (cf. Ps 82:1-6 & John 19:11)
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[Magenta]

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath
everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
‭‭John‬ ‭5:24‬ ‭

John 5:24-25

 

[Pilgrimshope]

John 5:24-25

“But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭4:4‬ ‭KJV‬

 

[Magenta]

“But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every
word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Matthew‬ ‭4:4‬ ‭KJV‬

From Matthew 4:4

 

[Pilgrimshope]

From Matthew 4:4

“And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day:…….
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3:8‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1:3‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.”
‭‭John‬ ‭1:1, 4-5, 9-10‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭1:5‬ ‭

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
‭‭John‬ ‭8:12‬ ‭

“It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.”
‭‭John‬ ‭6:45‬ ‭

“I and my Father are one.”
‭‭John‬ ‭10:30‬ ‭

“For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭5:7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

 

[Magenta]

“It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore
that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.” John‬ ‭6:45‬ ‭

John 6:45

 

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40» Rom 13:7 . . Give everyone what you owe him . . . if respect, then
respect; if honor, then honor.

Christians don't have to particularly like the folks in government, but we do
have to allow them the dignity that their positions deserve in compliance
with Rom 13:1-5.

For example: tearing up a US President's state of the union address, banning
him from social media platforms, censoring his comments, falsely accusing
him of colluding with the Russians, revising existing laws with which to
prosecute him ex post facto, and/or impeaching him contrary to
Constitutional law, is not the Christian way; so don't let Christ catch you
participating in those kinds of impious behaviors.

NOTE: It was just one lone Jew's refusal to give a federal official the respect
their position deserved that almost caused the total annihilation of Moses'
people in the book of Esther. Her uncle Mordecai is often portrayed as a
hero, but in reality he's an extremely poor role model for Christians to
follow.
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41» Rom 13:8 . . Owe no man anything.

Some have construed that verse to mean it's a sin to have a mortgage, a car
payment, and/or a credit card balance. However, the Greek word for "owe"
is ambiguous with a number of meanings, one of which is to fail in duty; viz:
fail to meet your obligations.

In today's world; debt is nigh unto impossible to avoid; but debt is
acceptable for Christians just so long as they pay their bills on time. Christ
can be neither pleased nor honored when his followers are known as
deadbeats.
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42» Rom 13:12 . . Put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of
light.

Among the first things that God created for the cosmos was light (Gen 1:3).
He didn't have to create darkness because darkness per Gen 1:2 is just
simply the default condition in the absence of light.

At that time, God made a distinct difference between light and darkness
(Gen 1:4). I think it is very notable that God labeled the light "good" but He
didn't label the darkness good.

I believe Gen 1:4 set the stage; in other words: from that point on in the
Bible, darkness typically represents something harmful and/or distasteful;
while light always represents something tasteful and/or beneficial. So then
we could label the deeds of darkness as deeds unbecoming Christ's
followers, and we could label the armor of light as deeds befitting his
followers. In other words: deeds befitting Christ's followers are their first line
of defense in a world gone mad with evil.

"Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he
must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against
those who do evil." (1Pet 3:10-12)
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43» Rom 13:13 . . Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing
and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and
envy.

"in the day" could be construed to mean "in that day" which would indicate
life and society as it will be in the kingdom God. Well; needless to say,
people then won't be acting like they do now, so maybe we should start
preparing for that day by putting these instructions into enough practice to
make them become a habit.

The Greek word for "envy" is somewhat ambiguous. It includes-- along with
envy --jealousy, indignation, and outrage.

The Greek word for "strife" is somewhat ambiguous too. It includes-- along
with strife --quarrelling, wrangling, contention, debate, and a whole other
bunch of ugly stuff associated with variance.

"in the day" probably refers to daytime when the sun is up as opposed to
nighttime when the sun is down; which is usually when people are out
partying, drinking, and picking each other up for one night stands.

Though strife and envy can be seen during both day or night, they're listed
as nighttime behavior due to their being shameful.

NOTE: What I find interesting about Christ's commandments is that his
followers have to be instructed how to properly conduct themselves; viz: it's
never assumed they can be trusted to instinctively and/or intuitively know
how. (cf. Rom 12:2)
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